Man injured in weekend shooting near downtown

by Wes Mayer

A Newnan man was injured in a shooting Saturday in the area of Murray Street near downtown, and the suspected shooter was later arrested.

Around 2:30 a.m., Officer Donna Barnett with the Newnan Police Department went to the 100-block of Murray Street in reference to a shooting. According to the police incident report, Barnett arrived to find pools of blood around the front entrance of the home with a trail leading to the living room. There Barnett found the victim lying on his back with blood covering his legs.

The victim did not respond to Barnett’s questions, but his eyes were open and he was breathing, according to the report. Coweta County Emergency Medical Service personnel arrived on scene and transported the victim to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Witnesses identified the suspected shooter as Anthony Louis Ayers, 50, who they told officers left the scene in a gray Jeep and lived at the Summit Point Apartments, Barnett said. Ayers was later found at his home, and he was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and taken to the police station for questioning, she said.

According to Barnett’s report, witnesses said Ayers came to the home earlier threatening to shoot the victim. The victim was not present at the time, so Ayers left. When the victim returned to the home, he was informed of Ayers’ threat, and he actually called Ayers on the phone to tell him he was back, according to the officer.

When the victim hung up the phone, Ayers came back into the home and shot at the victim three times, hitting him, according to Barnett’s report.

Information was not available on how many of the bullets struck the victim.

Written statements were taken from witnesses in the case and the investigation was turned over to Newnan Police Investigator Sgt. Chad Wood.